A/N, Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter. Just in case there is any confusion, this one takes place directly after Chapter 1.

After her crying fit on the bedroom floor Constance finally found the strength to pick herself up and let the jumper go. There was someone she needed to talk to.

Amelia was sitting at her desk when she heard the familiar knock that signalled her deputy wanting to enter. When the door opened she saw a broken woman in front of her.

"You look terrible dear. Please, tell me what has happened."

Constance sat down shakily. "Amelia I have come to give in my notice."

Seeing that her other close friend was about to speak, she put her hand up to halt the words.

"Please, let me finish. Broomhead knows that Imogen and I are not really married. She drugged her with a rape potion that night of my speech and paid someone to try and seduce her. That was what I, thankfully, disturbed. I also believe she gave her a truth serum because she has a recording of Imogen confirming that we are not really married. Now she has threatened to take the recording to the witches council and prove that we have been lying unless I marry her. She has also threatened Imogen because of me. I cannot avoid this any more and so I have filed for divorce and will be leaving before my birthday."

The principal was devastated. How had that evil woman won? The thought of Constance having to marry her was too much to bear.

"There must be something we can do. You don't have to marry her."

Taking a breath Constance looked at the ceiling. "No, I do not. I have made my decision Amelia and I would rather lose my powers that marry that woman. That's why I need to leave. A potions teacher without power is no good to you is she?"

It was the best of a bad choice. Losing her powers would be terrible and it was risky. But it meant Constance didn't need to leave. she could stay here with her closest friends.

"I know how hard that will be for you dear but you can stay here. There are so many other things you could teach Constance. English, Mathematics, History, Horticulture. We'll find something for you. Even if you cannot teach afterwards, stay here. Let us take care of you.

Grateful beyond words at the offer Constance had to decline. She had to leave, it was too hard to stay around Imogen. She knew her actions had hurt the other woman and there was no way back. Besides, once her powers had been removed who knew what type of person she would be, if she would even be fully functioning?

Amelia was devastated. "Where will you go? What will you do?"

At least here she had some options. "I will go to my childhood home. It has been left to me along with enough money to get me by for a time, enough to pay for medical care if I need it. I suppose, if and when I recover, I will have to educate myself in the way of non witches but at least I will not be destitute."

Despite her fake positivity Constance was devastated at the thought of losing her powers. Still, it was the lesser of two evils and she had somewhere to go. This conversation was becoming too difficult though. Besides Imogen, Amelia was the only person who could make her see sense and right now she could not face doing that.

"I will leave on the fifth of May. The next day I will present myself to have my powers removed. I will also show the council the threats against Imogen in the hope that they will protect her as I cannot. Amelia, let me say this now. I am grateful for your friendship and support. I will miss you terribly but I need to make a clean break."

As Amelia started to reply and tell Constance she needed to speak to Imogen, she was gone.

The principal wasn't alone for long. Within minutes Davina came blustering in.

"Is it true? They're divorcing? Imogen just told me before she left. I thought they were going to fall in love? What went wrong?"

Amelia could barely keep up with the chanting teacher. "Imogen left?"

Davina nodded frantically, "She said she needed to get away for a couple of days. She's gone to see her friend, it's too hard to stay apparently."

It wasn't ideal but perhaps the space would do the two of them some good and make at least one of them realise they needed to talk. She just hoped Imogen would return quickly, she had a feeling that Constance hadn't been entirely honest with the woman she was married to. In this case, Amelia was willing to break a confidence and would go and fetch her employee herself if she needed to.

She filled Davina in on what had happened and between them they came up with a plan for when the P.E teacher returned.

Anna opened the door to find her friend on the other side, in tears. After she had sent the kids away telling them that Constance would come another time she sat Imogen down and poured her large drink. Despite her previous vow to never drink again she needed this.

Imogen spend the next hour pouring her heart out. She told Anna everything, what had happened at the event. How things had been since then, how even the friendship had deteriorated beyond repair. She sobbed her heart out as her friend held her tightly.

There was something about this that didn't add up to Anna. It reminded her of close encounter she had experienced on a night out when they were teenagers.

"Immy. Do you remember the night that guy spiked my drink? This reminds me of when that happened. Could you have been drugged?"

It wasn't beyond the realms of possibility but it didn't account for everything else that happened. How distant Constance had been.

"Possibly but it doesn't matter Anna, she doesn't feel the same way as I do. And before you say it, she doesn't. She thinks I'm the type of person who would go off with the first girl who looked at me. She said we wanted different things and she's already filed for divorce. That makes things very clear."

There was something else. Imogen pulled out a letter she had collected on her way to the train station. It was a bank statement.

"Look, she's already paid me for my services."

Money had never been part of their arrangement but apparently it was deemed necessary. Her loan had been completely cleared off and more.

Anna looked at the statement. She knew how much Imogen had struggled with money over the past few years. This was the answer to one of her problems at least. She looked at the date the money had been paid in. Imogen's statements were bi-monthly. It had been paid before this ever happened.

"That's not what she's done honey. She paid this well over a month ago. She wanted to help you, I would have done the same if we'd had the money This is a gift, beside, you never provided any services beyond friendship did you?"

She hoped the little joke would lighten the mood slightly.

It didn't, Imogen poured herself another drink. She didn't care about money, she would happily be in debt forever if she had Constance.

That night she slept on the couch again, tossing and turning and almost glad when the kids barged into watch TV at 7AM. At least she could lose herself in mindless cartoons.

Eventually she needed something to eat so got up to find some cereal and coffee.

She found Anna in the kitchen speaking on the phone. "Great, thanks we'll see you then."

As she poured her coffee Imogen asked her friend. "Are you expecting someone?"

Anna indicated that she should sit. "That was my uncles wife Alice. You know, the lady who told you about the job. Don't be mad with me but I couldn't stop thinking about what you told me last night so I called her to ask for advice and what she knew about this Broomhead character. Imogen, it's not good so I've asked her to come and talk to you. Please hear her out."

Although in a way she was reluctant Imogen knew she had to speak to Alice. What if Constance was in danger? She was already wary of Broomhead and never fully felt that her threat had passed.

Alice arrived at around 11AM. Anna had taken the kids out and left Imogen to talk to her aunt in law. Over tea they discussed the situation. Deciding she had nothing to lose Imogen told her everything.

"That stupid law, it causes so much trouble. As you know, I know Amelia through various associations. I don't know Constance but my cousin did, in fact she was very keen on her. One night they met at a party and had arranged to go on a date. My cousin was very excited but out of nowhere she cancelled it. It took years for her to tell anyone but eventually she had confessed that Hecketty Broomhead had threatened her with some very nasty consequences if she went. It turns out she wasn't the only one. Every girl who Constance was interested in got a visit and received the same threat."

The cup was shaking in Imogen's hand. She could never understand why someone as wonderful as Constance hadn't been snapped up, this explained it.

"I would also bet money that you were in fact drugged that night and I can guess who was behind that. It sounds like too much truth serum, at least. Imogen, if she knows that you were pretending she can go to the witches council and demand Constance loses her powers if she isn't truly married. When it comes to Constance that old bitch would do anything to have her, providing she is still a powerful witch.

"The other thing I have to tell you is a rumour but you should know. As you know Broomhead was married and apparently her wife died after a fall. There was was an investigation and officially it was deemed an accident. I do know of one officer on the Magical Justice Committee who did not believe this was the case. Apparently her wife had started to stand up to her and was refusing to have children until the problems they were having were resolved. However, at the time the evidence was seen as circumstantial and the judge would not allow him to proceed. Make no mistake Imogen, she is capable of anything."

Imogen was crying again. The danger had gotten even worse

Alice continued, "I cannot speak for one my fellow witches but if it were me, without the marriage, I would choose to lose my powers. From what you've told me and what I already know I would guess that is the decision Constance has made. Broomhead won't want her if she is powerless"

She saw the look of hope on Imogen's face.

"Now, that might sound like the better option but she will potentially go through hell on earth. She will need to learn to live as a non witch and that is beyond hard. It's not like she will end up just like you, she may not be the same person afterwards. In some ways would be akin to you suffering a brain injury, it's impossible to call what the impact will be until it happens."

"Surely she can do something? We can do it together- prove that Broomhead has been doing all these things." Imogen was distraught.

Alice considered this as she drank her tea. "Think about it this way. Constance has been dealing with Broomhead in one shape or form since she was twelve years old, even when she didn't know it. That's twenty eight years of threats and game playing. Broomhead doesn't just threaten the person, she goes for the people close to them. In this case, chances are it's you. Now, we can sit there and say she should go to the witches council about the threats and of course she should. But put yourself in Constance's shoes just for a second. Chances are she's too close to the situation and too scared. She probably feels alone even though she has people supporting her."

Imogen interjected passionately, "She's got me. I will never let anyone hurt her."

Looking directly into the traumatised woman's eyes Alice asked a question. "So why didn't you fight for her before? When she backed away from your relationship? When she told you she wanted a divorce?"

These questions had been going around Imogen's head. She finally had some answers.

"Initially I didn't know what to do. She seemed to think I was the type of person who would go off with a complete stranger. Then she became distant, aloof, like she had been before. She wasn't my friend, my Constance."

Now they were getting somewhere. "As an outsider with some limited knowledge of psychology I would say that's her defence mechanism and a way of protecting you. If she backs off you can't get too close and get hurt."

"What can I do?"

Alice sighed, there something. "Imogen do you love her?"

She saw the nod, knowing it was genuine. "If you love her and she loves you nobody can dispute your marriage, even if you were not in love when you actually married, if you are now it counts. They will make you go through a lie test and you both need to be one hundred percent in love. Only then will Broomhead lose her hold on Constance."

This was where the problem lay for Imogen, she knew her own feelings. She had hope that they were reciprocated but needed to be sure. There was only one way to find out.

"Alice can I trouble you for one more thing? I need to get back to the castle. If you have your broomstick can you drop me please? I can't wait for the train. I have to get back and tell Constance I love her."